For the few Americans who've heard of it, cricket conjures up images of fastidious Englishmen in white outfits who scarcely break a sweat during "test" matches that stretch over five days--with regular breaks for tea! But the newest format of the game, known as Twenty20, is shorter than a Major League Baseball game, as fiercely contested as a National Hockey League match and between teams dressed more colorfully than the Los Angeles Lakers. For the spectators, there is rousing music between plays ... and cheerleaders!

The only way the sport could be more American is if a big Texas tycoon were...